Bulletin: Deer Hunting Archery Season Opens Sept. 12

WHAT HAPPENED

• Have you ever had a question for a cop and you were afraid to ask or weren’t sure where to go to ask? You can email your questions to [email protected] and the question will be answered and posted on the blog (sturgeonbaypolicedepartment.blogspot.com). There will be an “Ask a Cop” blog posted weekly or bi-weekly on the blog, depending on how many questions are received. It will list the question from the public along with the answer from a cop.

• Wisconsin law requires drivers to stop a minimum of 20 feet from a stopped school bus with its red warning lights flashing. Drivers must stop whether the bus is on their side of road, on the opposite side of the road, or at an intersection they are approaching. However, drivers are not required to stop for a school bus if they are traveling in the opposite direction on the other side of a divided roadway separated by a median or other physical barrier. When they are passed illegally, school bus drivers are authorized to report the violator to a law enforcement agency and a citation may be issued. The owner of the vehicle, who might not be the offending driver, will then be responsible for paying the citation. A citation for failure to stop for a school bus costs $326.50 with four demerit points. If reported by a school bus driver, the vehicle owner’s liability for the illegal passing of a bus costs $326.50 with no demerit points.

COMING UP

• With the start of deer hunting in Wisconsin for 2015 when the archery season opens Sept. 12, state wildlife officials are kicking off the seventh annual Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey, an easy-to-do survey where hunters can record their observations of deer and other wildlife while out hunting. Survey results help track population trends for Wisconsin’s deer herd and other wildlife.

“The Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey is a fun opportunity for hunters to share their enthusiasm for wildlife while helping survey efforts,” says Jes Rees Lohr, wildlife research scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR asks hunters to record all of their hunting activity throughout the deer season, even if no wildlife sightings were made during a hunt. The observations provide the DNR with an index for many wildlife species. In 2014, there were more than 15,000 trips logged totaling more than 66,000 hours of observations. In addition, hunters reported a total of 5,634 bucks, 13,419 does and 8,253 fawns. Since starting in 2009, the Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey has reported more than 80,000 hunting trips from hunters all around the state.

At the end of each year, participants will receive a personalized summary of all recorded wildlife from that season. Participants can access the survey webpage by going to the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, and search keywords “Deer Hunter Wildlife.” Tally sheets can be filled out either electronically or printed from the site. The survey period ends January 2016.

Lastly, don’t forget to keep sending in trail camera photos. The trail camera gallery can be accessed through the Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey webpage. Check back often as the site is updated as soon as new photos are sent in.

• Many fall hunting and trapping seasons are just around the corner, and this year’s is now available by visiting dnr.wi.gov and search with the keyword “forecast.” Highlights for fall 2015 include electronic registration and updates to the FFLIGHT program. It has never been easier to find a place to hunt in Wisconsin. Those in search of public hunting and trapping grounds are reminded to check out the department’s Public Access Lands atlas. The atlas includes all DNR properties, as well as nearly all federal- and county-owned lands. You can download and print these maps free of charge. For more information, search keyword “atlas.”